02 – How Credentialing Works

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Very simply; individuals qualify as a Candidate by purchasing an Individual Membership and being assessed against the Skill Standards.  Earning Skill Points and experience hours leads to WCA Certifications and Credentials…

Everyone in the program carries a Personal WCA Passport. Woodworkers earn WCA Credentials by accumulating Tool Points in the Passport and by time-on-job. Tool Points are earned by demonstrating competence on tool skills defined in the Woodwork Manufacturing Skill Standards, published by the Woodwork Career Alliance. The skill demonstrations are watched by a Skill Evaluator, a person specially accredited by the WCA to issue Tool Points.

Both the Tool Points and Hours are cumulative, each Credential adding to the one above. The Red, Gold, and Diamond Credentials require a practical demonstration of acquired skills, which will be custom tailored and related to the candidate’s real world working situation and experience.

The Green and Blue Credential could be earned by students in a qualified training program, which may include some time in a manufacturing shop or plant. By the time a candidate applies for the Red Credential s/he is assumed to be employed in the industry.

Summary of Credential Progression:

  • Sawblade Certificate – 10 tool points, >80% on Sawblade Quiz, Enrolled at a WCA EDUcation™ school.
  • Green Credential – 30 tool points, 800 hours (education and/or work)
  • Blue Credential – 60 tool points, 1600 total hours (education and/or work)
  • Red Credential – 120 tool points, 3200 total hours employed, skill demonstration
  • Gold Credential – 180 tool points, 4800 total hours employed, skill demonstration
  • Diamond Credential – 240 tool points, 6400 total hours employed, master project

Every Passport Holder’s credentials are backed up in our database, called the WCA Registry. A person can access their personal record online at the WCA website, using their unique user name and personal password. Passport Holders can export their transcripts to send to educators and/or employers.